Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tackling the Silver Streak Bathroom and KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid



The last couple days I have been working feverishly on my new found obsession. And I'm not exaggerating. I wake up excited to get out there and get dirty. When life demands I do other responsible things I'm not real thrilled about it (sorry, that the fridge was empty kids and sorry to everyone that didn't receive a text or call back and if you want me to do something "fun"- check back in a few weeks). I spend my time after dark on Pinterest, Forums, RV supply shops and making lists of what to buy and what to do the next day. I'm really stressed this afternoon because I had to cut my project work time short to buy groceries and put checks in the bank. Boo-hoo right?

So, yesterday I dealt with this little challenge below.
WTF people.

So, what you are viewing is the backsplash of the bathroom sink area covered in sticky backed tiles and further held in place with plastic wood trim.




















 I spent most of the day prying off the trim and using a blow dryer on hot to loosen the adhesive and pry it off, gently, with a chisel. To remove the mirror I taped the heck out of it to keep shards of glass from impaling me- keep that trick in mind.

So a shout out to all you 1980's remodel-ers and future generations of re-diyers, "KISS"!
Keep It Simple Stupid!

Your tastes will change, and paint is a lot easier to re-do than this kind of s*#t.





















The wallpaper wasn't so bad. It came off in huge pieces and what was left I just dampened with a sponge and scraped of with a flat drywall/putty spatula.

Again, KISS!!! Why, oh, why? So much pattern and so much work.

I attempted to remove the rusty sink but I'll have to wait for the big guns to come home. I removed all but the hot /cold fittings underneath as they were not budging for me.


















I next removed the hardware and cabinet fronts- I labeled the hardware and put it in little baggies.

If you are taking on a project like this- it is so important to photograph everything and label everything!

You will not remember every little detail of where and how everything fit back together and it's easy to lose items. Even items you don't think you will reuse need to be tagged and bagged. You can use parts as templates or pass them onto restorers. Most of these parts are not made anymore.

I wiped down all the surfaces to be painted, as sometimes wallpaper sizing causes crackling in paint. I also scufffed the door fronts with a light sanding.

Next I used Zinsser ,Waterbased Primer and Sealer, with a sponge roller for a smooth prime coat. It seals in stains and makes your paint coat stick. IMPORTANT STEP!
 I love this primer. It sticks to almost everything, self levels well and only requires 1 thin coat, repaintable in an hour. I use it in a lot of my furniture makeovers.





















Here's everything prepped and ready for paint.
I am keeping the marble Formica, ordering brushed aluminum for backsplash and picking up a new white sink.

I don't think I'll get to paint until Friday as I have to do some real work. Yeah- the kind that pays the bills or my obsessions.

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